ISO 14001 certified police force invests in electric vehicle

Gloucester Constabulary, the only ISO 14001 accredited constabulary in the UK, recently announced that it has expanded its fleet to include seven electric vehicles, the Gloucester Citizen reports. The Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl, has also suggested that these seven vehicles may not be the last.

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized standard for Environmental Management Systems and helps businesses and organizations to control their environmental impact. The certificate also gives advice on how to measure energy consumption and reduce waste.

The model chosen by the Gloucester force is the Nissan Leaf, which was picked after a number of electric models were tested to see if they were suitable for police work. Three are marked and will be used in urban areas; the other four are unmarked and will be used for other operations.

Gloucester Constabulary currently has 412 vehicles in its fleet, with over 89% running on diesel fuel. The remaining 11% use unleaded petrol.

Surl said: "The police are big car users with the vast majority of its fleet currently running on diesel engines. Since the Volkswagen emissions scandal, we know that diesels are not as good for the environment as we thought and I believe the police can and should make an important contribution to reducing emissions by using cleaner vehicles."

He also said: "I will not allow the constabulary to purchase or lease any vehicle where the manufacturer has been shown to deceive the public over emissions."

It was noted that emissions will act as an increasingly relevant consideration, alongside cost and performance, when purchasing police fleet vehicles.